Some Fundamentals of Health Conservation

Some Fundamentals of Health Conser- vation

By J. E. Greaves, Ph. D. Prof, of Bacteriology and Physiological Chemistry, Utah Agricultural College

A truism well recognized by medical men is that the sol- dier has much more to fear from the ravages of disease than the fire of the enemy. During the South African War the British army lost twice as many men from preventable diseases, chiefly tvphoid fever, as died from wounds received in battle. In the Spanish-American War there was only one death from battle to 12.5 deaths from disease. In the Russo-Japanese war, on the other hand, the number of deaths from disease was only one- half the number of killed. In the present war the deaths from communicable diseases is very low when we consider the number of men engaged. In short, the stage had been reached in the armies of the world, prior to the war, when the death rate within the army was far less than it was in the civilian life with the same class of individuals. For four centuries the narrow Isthmus of Panama was re- garded as the white man's grave. Ferdinand de Lesseps, who undertook the construction of a canal across the Isthmus, was forced to abandon it. His men died like flies. It has been stated that before the work was finally abandoned, a human life had been sacrificed for every cubic yard of earth excavated. Eighteen per cent of all the men employed had died and many more were rendered helpless. Twenty years later a canal was constructed and that with a mortality of slightly less than sixteen per thousand, while today the mortality is less in the canal zone than in many of our large cities. cent Since 1882 tuberculosis has decreased forty-nine per and typhoid fever thirty-nine per cent. During this same period the death rate within the registration area of the United States per thousand. In short, the has decreased from 19.6 to 15.0 is due average life of man has been lengthened ten years. This communicable diseases, for during mainly to the control of the this period there has been a large increase in deaths from kid- ney disease, heart disease, and apoplexy. Upon what funda- which has worked such won- mentals is this science founded dcrs The first marked advance was made when it became estab- of other similar lished that microorganisms are the descendants

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organisms, and that all communicable diseases are due to minute plants and animals. It was only three hundred years ago that the famous physicist and chemist, Von Helmont, stated that mice can be spontaneously generated by merely placing some dirty rags in a receptacle together with a few grains of wheat or a piece of cheese. This same philosopher's method of engend- ering scorpions appears to us very amusing. "Scoop out a hole in a brick. Put in some sweet basil. Lay a second brick upon the first so that the hole may be perfectly covered. Expose the two bricks to the sun, and at the end of a few days the smell of the sweet basil, acting as a ferment, will change the herb into a real scorpion." These false notions were overthrown by the Italian poet and physician, Redi, who clearly demonstrated that larvae were not spontaneously generated in decomposing meat. He simply took the precaution of placing the meat in a bottle the mouth of which was covered with gauze. Flies attracted by the meat deposited their eggs on the gauze, but no worms were developed in the meat. When, however, the microscope became sufficiently per- fected it was found that all substances, especially those decay- ing, were filled with various forms of life. These it was thought had developed from the dead inanimate matter in which they were found. Needham took the decaying organic matter en- closed in vessels which he placed upon hot ashes to destroy any existing life. Yet later he found developing in these fluids microorganisms. Spallanzani repeated the work, Using hermet- ically sealed flasks which he sterilized bv heating for one hour. There were no organisms developed in this. But Needham replied that the boiling had so altered the character of the material that it was unable to generate life. This Spallanzani answered by cracking one of the flasks so air could enter. Decay soon set in. Even this was not sufficient to overthrow a popular belief, for the claim was made that the air was excluded and this they considered as essential to the normal development of these forms of life. This objection was answered by the work of many an ingenious worker. Some passed the air through tubes containing acid, others through redhot tubes and then into the infusion. But the final proof came when it was shown that it was sufficient to place cotton plugs in the bottles, so that, as the air passes in the minute organisms are held back by the cotton and the media does not change. This, together with the work of Pasteur on fermen- tation and Tyndall on the floating matter of the air, proved conclusively that bacteria are the descendants of other similar organisms

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This principle, although undertaken for purely theoret- ical reasons, is the firstfundamental upon which is construct- ed the modern science of fermentation. Exclude the specific microorganism of the disease and there can be no communicable disease. And it has been firmly established that a great major- ity of diseases which are exacting such a toll of human life are due to microorganisms. Our second milestone on the path of progress was marked by the discovery that the great majority of microorganisms which cause disease in man multiply only in the body of man or the lower animals. The evidence is conclusive that the causative agents of tuber- culosis, pneumonia, influenza, cerebro-spinal meningitis, scar- let fever, typhus fever, smallpox, whooping cough, gonorrhea, syphilis, malaria, yellow fever, and sleeping sickness multiply only in the body of animals and the number which reaches the body of one animal are only those which leave the body of another animal. Diphtheria which for so long has been considered a filth disease, that is, its germs were supposed to have a habitat out- oide of the body in various forms of dirt, is now known to be a purely contagious disease. The organism is more resistant than are some disease-producers, but there is no evidence that it is propagated outside the body except occasionally in milk. While it is well establised that water often gives rise to typhoid fever, it is also well established that the typhoid rapidly disappears from water and probably never lives in water longer than fifteen or twenty days. And there is no evidence that the germ ever multiplies in the water. Hence, water re- quires a constant source of new infection from the body of a human individual to be at all dangerous; for it is evident that while the typhoid organism may live for sometime in the soil there is no evidence that it can multiply in soil So this organism has its origin only in man or some special food which has re- cently been infected by man, and the same principles hold for cholera, plague, and dysentery. It is possible that the anthrax tetanus and pus-forming bacteria may develop in the soil or decaying material, but there is no evidence that they commonly do. It is well known that disease-producing organisms find soil. water and decaying material unfavorable for their continued existence, as is seen from the fact that typhoid organisms will live longer in sterile, distilled water than they will in normal well water. The establishment of the principle that the majority of all diseases are spread by direct contact or by insects, put a new and effective weapon in the hands of the sanitary worker. From

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time immemorial vapors and emanations, gaseous or otherwise, have been considered to be frequent causes of diseases. But with the growth of the subject of bacteriology it was found that bac- teria were the real cause of disease. The favorite explanation of the transmission of disease was that they were conveyed in the air. But experience soon taught that even smallpox or measles could be housed in the same hospital with other patients with- out infection, provided care be taken to prevent the carrying of the infection of one to the other by the attendants. Moreover,' it was even found that the highly communicable diseases could

be kept in the same ward with other patients, and even scarlet fever is no longer considered as an aerial-transmitted disease. Moreover, the scales which may at times be carried in the air have not the power of producing the disease. If this is the case, what is the origin of those cases which seem to occur spontaneously? This has been answered by the discovery of carriers and mild cases. Some individuals, although apparently healthy, may be harboring within their mouths the disease germ and they can safely make the journey from the lips of one to the lips of another on the common drinking cup. The fingers are continually finding way to the mouth, and if the saliva were indigo, what a blue world it would be indeed! For "the cook spreads his saliva on the muffins and rolls; the wait- ress infects the glasses and spoons; the moistened fingers of the peddler arranges his fruit; the thumb of the milk man is in his measure; the reader moistens the pages of his book; the con- ductor his transfer tickets; the "lady" the fingers of her gloves. Everyone is busily engaged in this distribution of saliva, so that at the end of each day we find this secretion freely distributed on the doors, window sills, furniture, and playthings in tin home, the straps of the trolley cars, the rails, counter and desks of shops, and public buildings, and indeed upon everything that the hands of man touch, and in many cases, with it, the germs of many of our diseases. If the next comer has not learned that the hands are to be kept from the mouth, he can easily transfer to his mouth disease germs, and, if perchance, they find suitable soil, the individual soon finds himself suffering from a disease. It may be a mild attack of la grippe or a fatal attack of tuber- culosis. Furthermore, individuals may have such mild attacks of a disease that they never realize that thev are suffering with a disease, hence continue to prepare food or produce milk for others. This they infect, which in turn infects the consumer. Then there are the insects which often act the part of the go-between from the sick to the well, the fly in typhoid, the mosquito in malaria, the louse in typhus fever, and the flea in

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plague. So, sanitary workers are continually giving more atten- tion to contact infection, including fingers, food, and insects, and with it there is being noted a decline in the communicable diseases. For a long time it has been the conception of layman and physician alike that general good health protects against in- fection, but it is fast becoming firmly established that the "physically fit" and robust at times fall prey to typhoid fever, smallpox, and probably all the other infectious diseases as well as does the weakling, and with this knowledge is coming infor- mation that it is first and best to keep them out of the body; and second, to have within the body the specific antidote for each particular germ. When Pasteur announced that he had found a prevention for anthrax he was looked upon with derision; even the leaders in scientific thought would not believe, artd the president of an agricultural society suggested that it be submitted to a decisive public test and offered to furnish fifty sheep, half of which should be protected by Pasteur. Later they were all to be in- fected by the disease-producing organisms and if the material be a success the protected ones were to remain healthy, the un- protected ones to die of the disease. Pasteur accepted the chal- lenge and suggested that for two of the sheep there be substi- tuted two goats, and that there be added to the herd ten cows. The sheep, cows, and goats were all turned over to Pasteur and treated as was the agreement. The results of the test, as de- scribed by one writer, are: "June second, at the appointed hour of rendezvous, a vast congregation, composed of veterinary sur- geons, newspaper correspondents, and farmers from far and near, gathered to witness the closing scene of this scientific tour- ney. What they saw was one of the most dramatic scenes in the history of peaceful science, a scene which Pasteur declared afterwards amazed the assembly. Scattered about the enclosure, dead, dying, or manifestly sick unto death, lay the unprotected animals, one and all, while each and every protected animal stalked unconcernedly about with every appearance of perfect health. Twenty of the sheep and one goat were already dead; two other sheep expired under the eyes of the spectators; the remaining victims lingered but a few hours longer. Thus, in a manner theatrical enough, not to say tragic, was proclaimed the unequivocal victory of science." In 1885 Pasteur announced his cure for hydrophobia, the disease following the bite of a mad dog, and since this date thousands have been rescued from this terrible disease. This was followed by other great advances, until today diphtheria, in place of being a disease in which the death rate

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now cut to less than three. Typhoid fever is no is 30 per cent, is longer the great scourge of the armies, and the Asiatic cholera, and the yellow fever have been nearly wiped from the face of the earth. These are being accomplished through the establish- ment of these principles: First, that microorganisms are the descendants of other similar microorganisms. It is these which are the cause of the communicable diseases. Second, the great majority of microorganisms which cause disease in man multiply only in the body of man or the lower animals. Third, the over- whelming majority of all diseases are transmitted through di- rect contact or through the intervention of insects. Fourth, a high state of bodily health does not confer entire immunity to the communicable disease, but such immunity may often be con- ferred by the causing of a mild attack of the disease. Fifth, in some diseases the immunity may be transferred from one animal to another through the blood by means of so-called antitoxins. Logan, Utah

Hope Thou wouldst not, couldst not sit and grieve, A present misery enweave, O friend, didst thou but know The loveliness, the glow and shine In one forgotten deed of thine. Such grace it doth bestow! O friend, couldst thou but know! Thou wouldst not, couldst not longer pine O'er weak and faulty step of thine, Couldst thou more clearly see The unwrit pages pure and white The unclaimed chances, gleaming bright, That gladly welcome thee, O friend, wouldst thou but see! Rich promises of good are thine, Where faith, sublime and clear, doth shine, Each promise shall prevail. In Wisdom's ways act well thy part, With Truth thy guide, where'er thou art, And God, who sees thy contrite heart, Can never, never fail: In joy thou shJt prevail! Minnie Iverson Hodappi